Semiconductor image sensors are used for sensing radiation such as light. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors (CIS) and charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors are widely used in various applications such as digital still camera or mobile phone camera devices. These devices utilize an array of pixels in a substrate, including photodiodes and transistors that can absorb radiation projected toward the substrate and convert the sensed radiation into electrical signals. When a scene with a bright region is imaged onto an array of pixels, some of the pixels receive light from the bright region. The incident light in such pixels is more intense than other pixels receiving light from not-so-bright region(s). The charge created by the photosensitive elements of pixels receiving light from the bright region is high and could diffuse to adjacent pixels. As a result, the image of the bright region appears to be larger than its actual scene. This growth of a bright region is called “blooming.” Charge created by one pixel diffuses to another pixel is also called “cross-talk.” Cross-talk (or blooming) is not desirable and should be reduced or eliminated. It is within this context the following disclosure arises.